The first thing after I got off the plane was not to get past the immigration, but to prevent a certain watery explosion. However, much to my vexation, the layout was such that the toilets are only available after the immigration counters. I guess with flights coming in as frequent as rocket launches, the immigration officers need as much entertainment as they can get.
Coming out of the arrival hall, I made a beeline for their tourist counter and picked up every single brochures, maps and pamphlets they had. After all, my Frommer’s guide book was more useful for swatting flies than actually providing good information.
I had not made any hotel reservations as usual, and based on the four pages budget hotel brochure which I spent ten minutes perusing through (hoping that the longer I looked, the more information other than what was printed would materialise). Finally I just picked one and hoped for the best.
Next came the way to Macau island (airport is at Coloane island). Bus or taxi? One cost MOP3.30 and the other around MOP60. A no brainer right? Right. I took the taxi. It gets me to my intended hotel fast and I wouldn’t waste time getting lost.
One thing about travelling on a Macau taxi, you would wished they had installed a defillibrator inside. It was tough not to notice the meter running as every hundred metres it travelled, the meter will beep once. Every beep you hear is a dollar more. Before we even got out of Coloane island, it had already beeped a heart-stopping 35 times (not counting the hop-on fee). Of course this is in local currency, which is five times more than ours. However, thinking in absolute terms, it was still scary.
I managed to get a room at East Asia Hotel. A windowless room no bigger than three toilet cubicles added up. The lifts up to the floors was even smaller, three quarter of a toilet cubicle. It makes better sense to take the stairs than the lift since most of the time it was full.
My 3 toilet cubicles of space
Once settled down I started hitting the roads. It was tough getting my bearings based on the map. First of all, the maps showed names of mostly major roads. Secondly, the road/street names are not displayed at every junctions or corners, which made comparing with the map a tad challenging. I happily got lost during the first few hours until I caught my bearings and the knack of getting around.
In the process of getting lost, I came upon Luis de Camoes Garden (I think), one of the attractions listed. Only thing was, I came upon St Bernard as well at what I thought was the entrance. A humungous St Bernard.
Whacha looking at?
Deciding that retreat was the best course of action before it chew my legs off, I headed towards the famed St Paul’s Church. Streets leading to and with Senado Square itself are paved with yellow tiles in 1993 to further enhance the European architecture at Senado Square. Walking on these tiled streets made me feel like walking down the yellow brick road to Oz.
To Oz
One of the most interesting things about Macau’s urban setting is that although the feel is like Hong Kong, it has a mixture of modern buildings, historical buildings, old buildings and even defunct buildings catering to various uses (cultural, religious, commercial etc) giving it a unique atmosphere.
Huff, puff and I blow these away
By the time I reach St Paul’s, it was already late noon. Being a Saturday, there was a huge crowd there mainly made up of Mainland and Hong Kong tourists. St Paul, to my mind, has become a tourism symbol of Macau. No matter which guide book or website about Macau, there is most likely a mention of or an image of St Paul.
St Paul day and night
Built in the 17th century and destroyed by a fire in 1835, all that left of St Paul’s is its façade and the crypt, which is turned into the Museum of Sacred Art. Built behind the façade of St Paul is a metal walkway which allows people to view out from the second floor windows. In each of the windows, there are coins lying on the sills. Presumably, some thought by throwing coins and making a wish, it will receive sacred acknowledgement.
I walked up to the walkway and had a good view of the stairs to St Paul, until I looked down and my legs started quivering. I forgot, I was standing two storeys up, on a metal walkway with too many people on it. It was time to get down.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Vacations
For me, this is only half true. Sure, it unwinds my mind since I do not really think about work while on holiday (okay, 99% true). If my manager ever asks why I do not check my email or on my handphone while on holiday, I can always answer back,
‘Sir, I was at Maputo. The only net they have there is fishing net. My handphone is as useful for picking my nose as it was for calling since reception is non-existent. The only way you can reach me is by Dove Express. That is, if the dove does not get shoot down and roasted en route.’
It will work, given that I do not usually divulge my holiday destination to him until I return. He cannot complain unless he gives me a satellite phone every time I go on holiday.
Now, the untrue part for me is that almost every overseas vacation I went on, it will be by default a physically taxing one. That is because I will explore a lot. Major tourist spots, up the hills, down the tunnels, markets, small alleys, nooks and crannies save the sewage system and female toilets. Some places I will go twice, once in the day and again at night just to feel the changes in the atmosphere and take in the night scene. More often than not, exploration is by the environmentally (and of course pocket) friendly Bus 11 i.e. pure leg power.
When I went to Vietnam, I came back with souvenirs that hurt – four big blisters on my feet. I had to walk on my heels and sides of feet for days. This time, I came back from Macau with stiff knees, strained calves and sore Achilles’ heels. It is not too bad, given that I was only there for three days.
Of course, by exhausting out physically during holidays means that I will inevitably flout the Rule-of-Those-Who-just-Came-Back-from-Vacation. It is an unspoken rule that those who just return from vacations are well rested. Hence, they are able to shoulder more tasks to cut some slack from those colleagues who slogged hard (supposedly) while they are away.
Naturally, given that I am always only mentally well rested, the day I return to work I usually glue my butt to the seat rather than walk the floors, unless some sadist colleagues poke me with a prodding stick.
To buck the trend and really give my body a rest, I have already decided my next short trip will be to some remote island with absolutely nothing to do except to get myself red and roasted for the local cannibals.
My first choice would have been Jurong Island, if not for the fact that there are no cannibals on it and the police would have prevented me from going in anyway. Thus, now begins the search for the perfect Eden and my getaway partner(s). Target, May.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Earthquakes
Recently I came across an old article that Taipei 101 might be causing an increase in seismic activity. The article is as follows:
TAIPEI, Taiwan - The weight of the world's tallest skyscraper -- specially built to withstand Taiwan's frequent earthquakes -- could be causing a rise in the number of tremors beneath it, a professor from the island wrote in a scientific journal.
Lin Cheng-horng, an earthquake specialist at the National Taiwan Normal University in the capital, Taipei, says the 1,679-foot Taipei 101 building -- named for the number of floors -- might rest on an earthquake fault line.
In the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters, Lin wrote that the pressure of the building's 700,000 tons on the ground may be leading to increased seismic activity.
The tremors "could be a direct result of the loading of the mega-structure," said an abstract of Lin's article, published on the American Geophysical Union's Web site.
However, Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said on Friday that the one year since the building's completion was too short a time in which to evaluate its effect on tremors.
Taipei 101, which looks like a giant steel-and-glass bamboo shoot, is equipped with a 733-ton ball suspended near the top that moves to counter the force of earthquakes or strong winds.
Theoratically, it is a plausible scenario. Think of the earth crust as a jelly surface. You place pressure at one point, the rest of the surface will 'shake' as displacement of content occurs. Similarly, if a mega structure gets demolished, the lifting of pressure from the surface will allow the earth crust to 'breathe', akin to a spring getting tension released. The result of the off loading might just cause something to go.
This brings something to thought. While Singapore does not have any mega structure, it does have plenty of highrise buildings which places considerable weight on this tiny little island. Not to be said, some are built on reclaimed land.
While Singapore does not lie on any fault lines, the impact of seismic activities has been felt increasingly. It will not be surprising should one day the continental plates shift such that Singapore lands right on top of a fault line. Chances of that happening is as strong as me winning Toto, but not to say it is impossible.
Now, I'm not sure if everybody will start avoiding Taipei 101, but there is definitely no need to flee Singapore for some far flung mountain in Central Europe for I have the greatest proposal to save Singapore from such fate.
My proposal, to bubble up Singapore and build a hovering city (like the cartoon Jetson). Once we have Singapore enclosed in a bubble, the land should be built with anti gravitational pads on it rather than buildings. I would assume AG pads are lighter than buildings. Once done, pre-fabricated buildings will then be lifted by these AG pads (think hot air balloon in air but tethered to ground).
Brillant, aren't it? In such way, we will not be placing too much pressure on the ground which might cause seismic activities and there definitely will not be any cases of suicide jumping or maids falling while hanging out clothings. No one needs to worry about COE prices as well, since practically everyone can be Superman and WonderWoman. Flying that is, not wearing underwear outside.
There is of course still the possibilty an earthquake will occur and disrupt the power to the AG pads. But hey, at least you will not be alone in falling.
(Simplistic thinking at it's best)